Monkey Ball Mode Walkthrough part 9

Super Monkey Ball 3D Monkey Ball Mode Walkthrough

World 8 - Mystic Dome

8-1

There's plenty of time to complete this stage, which amounts to nothing more than moving along a winding platform and avoiding a few obstructions while being careful not to let the debris that litters the path send you flying. There's one point about halfway through where you have to have a bit more speed than normal built up if you want to reach the edge of an upward sloping corner and snag a few bananas, but otherwise this is a surprisingly mellow way to enter the Mystic Dome world.

8-2

Like the previous stage, this one doesn't require a lot of finesse. However, the path that you must follow is a great deal longer and you'll have to move at a nice clip if you want to gather all of the bananas along the way. There are some ramps that you need to climb near the end. Veer to the outer edge of those as you ascend to make it easier to avoid any obstructions. Most of the level's bananas are right near the end, where you'll find yourself strapped for time unless you've been moving at a good rate up to that point. There also are a few bumpers near the end that are harder to avoid than most. They aren't especially likely to knock you over the platform's edge, but bumping against them when you have only a few seconds left on the timer can be a disaster just the same. Be sure to avoid them in your rush for the goal ring.

8-3

This is another long stage, but fortunately it's easy to move through most of it at a pretty good clip. When you find yourself descending slightly, that's a good sign to slow down; usually, at the base of a slope you'll find a missing rail along the corner and it's easy to overshoot that rail. Around the stage's halfway point, you can head around an arc and collect some bananas before coming to a split in the path. There, make sure that you head right (rather than left and down the slope) to speed along a treacherous ledge with individual bananas place along it. You'll head back around and should find yourself back at the fork in the path, at which point you should then proceed left and down the slope. Make sure that your speed is descent here, as you have to pass over a few hills before finally reaching the end of the stage.

8-4

Here you will find yet another stage where the main challenge is just reaching the end with all of the available bananas in your possession before the timer expires. There's nothing here that you shouldn't be able to negotiate by now, nothing in the way of real surprises. Just make sure that you take advantage of the long straight stretches when they are available, and be sure to corner cautiously around any bumpers. Mostly, when you see groupings of bumpers you can steer around them rather than risk a pass through them. Near the end of the stage, as you start up the wide gray ramp with debris strewn across it to the high ledge ahead of the descent to the goal sign, you can drop off the right side to grab the Giga Banana collectible, which is hanging there in a bubble.

8-5

Bonus Stage — This stage plays out much like a pinball machine. You can't afford to spend too much time returning to the field, so it's important to make the most out of every pass through it. On the first run, start forward and let the bumper send you flying along a passage. Here, you can either continue straight or drop toward the right. If you drop to the right, you'll collect more bananas in the chute and find another bumper that allows you to enter the field from a different area. If you continue straight instead of dropping to the right, you'll enter the table elsewhere. You need to make one entry from each location to successfully complete the stage. Make sure on your first visit that you also let the bumpers bounce you up to the pink arrow to release a load of fruit. Collect that fruit but don't try too hard if you have a second pass at the table left. This stage is difficult and it will likely take a lot of practice to master it, even with the above tips. Make sure that you spend a lot of time playing through it in Practice mode before you attempt it in Challenge mode, since in the latter mode you'll only have one shot at it. Unfortunately, there's no special trick that can entirely replace practice on this particular bonus stage.

8-6

As stages go at this point in the game, this one is quite short. There are few distractions and if you are good at moving up sharp corners at a good speed to collect single bananas positioned precariously close to a drop-off, you'll be able to gather everything and complete the stage with plenty of time to spare.

8-7

Here you'll find a stage that offers a more genuine challenge than its predecessors in this world, though once you get the hang of things, it's an easy one to complete. Start forward and you'll find that many of the ledges leading forward are sloped. Those slopes tend to lead toward pits or narrow ledges with strategically-placed bumpers. As you work through the stage's first half, you should in general veer toward the right, choosing to pass over bumpers rather than along sand and wider ledges. Then you'll need to start left, veering left around a pesky bumper (make sure that you're going fast enough that the slope doesn't cause you to slide into the pit) before you start ascending along ramps and avoiding a few more bumpers. Note that the goal sign ahead is preceded by a wide pit. You need to anticipate that pit and head around its left or right side before crossing a final patch of sand and passing through the goal.

8-8

Your main challenge in this area comes in the form of a bunch of holes (some with partial walls making their presence obvious, some not) scattered across the platforms that you must negotiate. The holes make it difficult to move quickly for fear that you'll fall through a hole you didn't know was coming, but fortunately there's no need to move especially quickly through the stage except when you're ascending near a bumper at around the halfway point. Steer carefully around any bumpers, watch closely for any holes and be cautious as you grab the last few bananas; there's a bumper nearby. You shouldn't have much trouble with the stage once you're comfortable with the holes.

8-9

The platform that you follow through this stage is rather easily navigated because it's quite wide. The only real problem is that, aside from a bluish stripe that leads from start to finish, much of the path is also sloped. You'll have an easy time finishing the stage if you stay on the dark blue portions of the stage, with your only real hazard being the occasional bumper that is easily avoided. If you get in a hurry and slide to either side, though, you could be in for a battle getting back to flatter ground (or, in the case of the final few curves, you could just be destined to fall into the abyss).

8-10

The final stage in this mode is a challenging one if you're not good at cornering. You'll have to race along a moderately lengthy course where maintaining speed (but not too much) is a necessity. After a few sloping corners, you'll come to areas that are sloped so that if you slow down at all, you'll either fall against a railing or into a pit. You need to move through those areas at around the center point, steering just clear of the railings (which bump you into pits more often than not, should you happen to hit the edge of one) and then proceeding through another area. Here, you'll want to head left up a guarded slope, then roll right and up onto a ledge with a bumper, which you must carefully avoid. Proceed beyond there and negotiate a few final sloping bends before cruising toward the finish line. There's no tip, really, except that you need to get good at cornering. As long as you have mastered that necessary skill, you'll triumph.